Developers eye complete remake in quiet Oak Bay neighbourhood
The corner grocery store in the Casey’s Market building — a decades-long fixture in south Oak Bay — is slated to close to make way for a florist.
In the longer term, a development with new commercial space on the ground floor with residential above is being considered for 713 St. Patrick St.
Business partners and residential builders Mark Whitney and Anup Grewal are making plans for both Casey’s Market and the nearby Central Stores property, at 679 St. Patrick St.
Casey’s Market was built in 1940 and the Central Stores building went up 1946, according to B.C. Assessment records.
An application for Central Stores was submitted to Oak Bay city hall in May to extend allowed uses within its commercial zoning to permit an architectural firm to move in, Whitney said Monday.
“Currently, there is no proposed changes to the building. It is just a change of use.”
Central Stores is set up for two tenants, but is unused. “The current use there is basically barber shop or retail,” Whitney said.
“We had it for rent for one year with virtually no interest, regardless of what the cost of rent is.”
No date has been set for a hearing. The application is currently under review, a municipal official said. There is also an existing accessory use for a residential suite, which faces Central Avenue.
Central Stores is owned by Novus Properties Inc., which is made up of Whitney and Grewal, and Casey’s is held by ADSN Holdings Ltd., which lists Grewal as a director.
Casey’s Market is to be the new home of Thorn and Thistle Flowers. A statement on its Facebook page said: “We can’t wait to expand into this new location and to continue to build community and expand our offerings. As we move into this iconic location, it will obviously be a change for some, but we promise to keep the legacy of community alive as well as continued neighbourhood support.”
The Thorn and Thistle opened in July 2013 in the 2800 block of Foul Bay Road and relocated to 2279 Bowker Ave.
Whitney said the plan is just to change the business. He said Casey’s business has been “slowly declining for the last few years.”
Efforts were made to revitalize the store, but there is not enough business to keep it going, he said.
“We were unable to renew the lottery licence because the sales are so low. The DVD business has died away.” The store used to offer DVD rentals and customers would pick up food at the same time, he said.
An image of a three-storey multi-family residential building is posted indoors. The concept is for commercial use on the ground floor and possibly one to two storeys of residential use above, Whitney said. “The picture we just put up for discussion with the neighbours,” he said. “We haven’t drafted anything.”
“We are just communicating with the neighbourhood, looking to see what people want to see there. So far it has been pretty positive.”
The Central Avenue and St. Patrick Street area has been a small commercial hub in the quiet residential area for generations. Both properties have passed through a number of owners as the years went by.
Casey’s Market site is assessed at $845,000 and Central Stores at $1 million.
A multi-family residential building on the southwest side of Central Avenue includes a venue offering art classes. De’lish Catering, with coffee, fresh and frozen meals and a bakery, is at 677 St. Patrick St., next door to Central Stores.
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen said any redevelopment would have to reflect the goals and direction of the Official Community Plan.